Fire rages in national forests (Photo: U.S. Department of Agriculture)

As we learned in responding to 2011 tornadoes across Alabama, community foundations make great partners in meeting needs that continue after the work of the all-important first responders. In Colorado, the Governor’s Office is using a fund at The Denver Foundation to encourage larger gifts ($1,000 and more) to support areas affected by this summer’s wildfires.

The Colorado Fire Relief Fund 2012 will be led by a board representing community foundations in these regions. The goal is to address what the group describes as “intermediate-term needs.”

As our Alabama Tornado Recovery Fund has done, this effort should make it easier for other foundations and businesses — anyone who wants to give in a major way — to know that their contribution will find its way to where it is most needed.  Its guiding principles of cooperation and transparency promise the kind of results and accountability we expect from community foundations, and that we have found in our own statewide collaboration.

We thank all those who have supported tornado recovery in Alabama, and we hope the hearts of America will open again to support the great needs in Colorado. You can send your contribution to:  The Colorado Fire Relief Fund 2012, c/o The Denver Foundation. 55 Madison, Suite 800, Denver, CO 80206 or check this link for more information.